Here are some of the things people are saying about Rose Post, retired reporter and columnist for the Salisbury Post, who died Thursday morning at age 85.
The words come from readers, friends, former colleagues and present Post employees:
Jim Hurley, former Post publisher: She won more state awards for excellence than anyone in the history of the N.C. Press Association.
We all loved her as a person and as an associate on the job. We’ll miss her very much.
Gordon Hurley, former Post president:She was really a good friend. I loved her. Rose was such as wonderful, caring lady.
Elizabeth Cook, Post editor: The Post suffered a great loss when Rose retired a few years ago, and we feel that loss anew today.
Wendy Konzelmann, former Post copy editor: Rose was one of the nicest, most humble people I’d ever met. She was a true legend and a wonderful writer. She was always ready with a story and a laugh and never failed to tell me my hair looked great no matter what color it was (and there were many).
I feel lucky to have known her and privileged to have worked with her. You’ll be missed, Rose, but not forgotten.
Sandy Sides Greene, former Post reporter: I’ll never forget how extremely kind she was to me when I first started working at the Salisbury Post. What an extraordinary writer (who ALWAYS complimented and bragged on the other writers. Her complimenting of some of my writings meant so much more than any award I could have/was given because she was the best, a human being who was loved and will be missed by so many people.
Emily Ford, Post reporter: The most inquisitive reporter I’ve ever met. A friend, mentor and advocate for so many.
Jennifer Moxley, News Channel 14 reporter: Rose was a wonderful mentor to this new, young reporter. Her desk was in the corner, piled high with newspapers and decorated with art by her grandchildren. When you sat in the chair beside it, you entered a world of solace where she welcomed anything and everything you wanted to tell her. I looked to her for guidance on how I could juggle the demands of being a reporter with my family life. She was always, always warm and compassionate, but stern and unbudging when it came to doing the right thing. What a sad day.
Martha Bolmon, former Post reporter: “Mama” Rose always looked for the “good” in those she came in contact with, and her stories always came from the heart. She would work hours on her stories, often into the wee hours of the morning and she often would forget to eat! Her desk was always piled high with story notes, pictures and other things related to stories she was working on. And she LOVED with the fury of a mother bear. Her love of family and friends ran deep.
Kathy Chaffin, former Post reporter: I am so blessed to have loved and been loved by Rose Post. She was my best friend and a second mother to me and many others.
Deirdre Parker Smith, Post online editor: Rose Post was my other Jewish mother and I will miss her as much as I miss my own Irish Catholic mother, for their love, understanding and constant worry about those they loved.
Frank DeLoache, former Post managing editor: One of my closest friends and one of North Carolina’s greatest journalists — Rose Post. She taught me so many things, and I miss her terribly. Please keep her family in your prayers.
Ned Cline, former managing editor of the Greensboro News and Record and former Post reporter: She received many awards for her work, and deserved every one. But her true legacy is her care for and understanding of humankind.
Debbie Moose, former Post reporter: I’ll never forget Rose for so many reasons, funny and serious. There will never be another like her. Reporting at the Salisbury Post was my first job out of UNC in 1979, and Rose was the second person I met after the editor who interviewed me. She found out everything about me in about five minutes.
She liked the idea of people being matched up. She called me one day at home and, without saying hello, asked me what my height was. Puzzled, I told her, and she yelled to Eddie asking if that was OK. Then she invited me to dinner at her house. The upshot was, she was fixing me up with her nephew, who was quite short. Nothing came out of it but a good story and a hectic evening in the bustling Post home.
I also remember when troops were sent to Grenada, I believe it was, and the Post had that awful computer system. Rose interviewed a mother of a soldier on deadline, typed it all in and it disappeared. Poof. Without a word, she called back and did the interview all over again. I think that’s probably the definition of professional.
Sue Price Johnson, former Associated press editor: My question: did she write her own obit? She will be missed by all she touched.
Kevin Cherry, Institute of Museum and Library Sciences, Washington, D.C.: When I first arrived in Salisbury, whenever I wanted to find out something, or know who did something, or when something happened or who someone was, I would be told, “Better ask Rose.” They were right, of course. I then spent years asking Rose …
Cortney Hill Wilson, former Post reporter: I’m so heartbroken over this! Mrs. Post was an incredible journalist, role model and mentor to me when I was there. I know she will be sorely missed.
Susan Shinn, former Post reporter: Outside of my parents, Rose was my biggest cheerleader. But she could also be brutally honest with constructive criticism, which was a good thing. She always wanted to improve her writing even though we all thought she was fantastic. Other folks did, too.
I remember meeting Dr. (William) Friday in Chapel Hill once. I was so thrilled to meet him, but when I introduced myself as a staff member from the Salisbury Post, he said, “How is Rose Post?” I sighed. “She’s just fine, Dr. Friday,” I said.
The best advice she ever gave me was that, when writing a feature story, I was the best friend of the person I was interviewing. I have always remembered that and whenever I’m interviewing anyone now, I don’t text, don’t Facebook, don’t check email, don’t multi-task in any way, shape or form. I listen.That’s a really big deal for people most of the time, just having someone to listen.
I loved her so much and I am heartbroken to lose her twice. But I’m sure we’ll meet again in that Great Newsroom in the Sky some day.
Liz Hood, reader: She was a dear friend from the time we came — she and James Barringer were sent to interview the new art professor for Catawba in 1971. I got to sit in on it. Rose will be greatly missed.
Steve Phillips, former Post sports editor: I don’t know what to say at the moment. Mainly, I will remember her as one of the kindest, most caring people I have ever known. And those long talks late at night in the newsroom. When most of the rest of my world was fast asleep, I was learning so much. Rest in peace, Rose. We won’t forget you!
Mary Jo Simpson, reader: She was a legend. Salisbury’s best promoter through story and history.
Lisa Staton Dyer, reader: This lady was an icon in my hometown, and she was largely responsible for any dreams I ever had of becoming a journalist. May she rest in peace.
Richard Boner, Superior Court judge, former Post reporter; Rose Post was a “people person”. She was genuinely interested in the lives of other people. That is one reason she was such an effective writer. When I was a young Post reporter, Rose was always willing to listen and to offer advice. In 1972, I was thinking of leaving newspapering to attend law school. Rose and I spent a rainy afternoon discussing the pros and cons. She helped me make a difficult decision. When I was appointed to the Superior Court bench in 1987, I called Rose. She came to Charlotte to attend my swearing-in ceremony. It was fitting that she was there to share that moment with me. I will always have a warm spot in my heart for Rose Post.
Phil Kirk, consultant, former chairman of State Board of Education: Rose was a compassionate, fiercely loyal person who cared deeply for her family and friends. She was a terrific writer and I would guess that she won more press awards than any other person in the history of North Carolina newspapers. Her stories captured the personality of the people she interviewed better than anyone I have ever known.
Rose was more than a prize-winning reporter. She probably had more friends in Salisbury/Rowan than any other person.
I have many fond memories of Rose, both when we worked together at the Post and as she interviewed me many times. She was painstakingly accurate. I remember when cell phones first came out and I was driving on the winding highway between Lenoir and Blowing Rock. The phone rang and it was Rose. She insisted on reading every word of some column she had written about me to make sure it was 100 percent accurate. Because the reception was not very consistent, we had to re-connect several times before she got to the end of the column.
Rose was also known for the length of her stories, and George Raynor (former managing editor of the Post), used to delight in measuring the length of her stories by the number of tiles in the floor of the newsroom.
Rose was like a “second mother” to me. (I have lost both my “second mothers” in the past four months. Elinor Swaim was the other one.) In fact, I told her things that I would not have told my mother! And she always gave me good, solid advice. One time she told me I was smart enough to be vice president of the United States, but not president. Coming from a strong Democrat, I considered that a compliment.
I also knew her as the proud mother of five children, and I was pleased to teach two of them. Because she worked unbelievably long hours, she often worried that she was away from her children too much, but I can attest to the fact that she spent a lot of time on the phone with each of them, as well as quality time at home. There will never be another Rose. We are all better citizens because of her.
Shirley Porter Hoosier, reader: She was a wonderful woman. So talented and caring of others. I still miss reading her stories in the Salisbury Post. Wish they could put all her stories in a book and publish it. Wouldn’t that be a wonderful book to read? May her soul rest in peace and my love and sympathy to her family and all who knew and loved her.
Christopher Lee Crowell, Post employee: It was an honor and a privilege to work with Rose the last 10 years or so of her career. She was indeed a very gifted and endearing lady.
Steve Huffman, former Post reporter: (From a 2010 column for the Lexington Dispatch) She said that when she came to work at the Post in the early ’50s, when a Highway Patrol trooper called to report a fatality, he’d insist on speaking to a male reporter because he feared a female reporter would be too delicate to hear the gory details of the accident.
The trooper didn’t know who he was talking to. Rose was as tough as nails.
Lisa Eagle Shuping, reader: I grew up in Salisbury and the first thing I always read in the paper was anything Rose Post had written! May she rest in peace.
Mary Knapp, reader: When I moved here 14 years ago, I began to love Rose’s wonderful stories.
Vanessa Willis, former Post reporter: My heart is heavy after learning that Rose Post passed away this morning. I had the great honor of working with her at the Salisbury Post and learned so much from her. She was at the Post for at least 50 years and mentored generations of cub reporters including me, Natasha Ashe-Suber and Susan Dickerson.
Sarah Nagem, former Post reporter: A wonderful journalist who opened her home and her heart to me when I took a reporting job at the Salisbury Post. The newspaper world has lost a great one.
Jody Rothhaar, reader: This saddens my heart. She wrote the article in 2001 that helped me to find my mother, sisters and brother after 32 years! She did a follow-up story at our reunion party and then a weeklong series about how things in the adoption process have changed over the past 30 years. Prayers go out to her family and the Salisbury community. She will be greatly missed!
Cyndi Allison, reader: I grew up reading Rose Post. Her stories were always full of heart. She is one of the reasons I became a writer. Heaven will have a wonderful teller of stories now.
Joannie Morris Reeder, former Kannapolis Citizen editor and Post reporter: The first time I ever met Rose was at one of those career day things you’d do in elementary school. I think I was in fourth grade, and I remember asking her if one day, since she owned the paper and all, I’d be able to get a job there. That last name confused a lot of elementary-aged kids.
Stephanie Bias, reader: The family from Vietnam that Mark mentioned in his tribute were friends of my late mother’s and Marcia Kirtley’s. Mama, Rose and Marcia traveled to the trial together and had car trouble on I-85. Mama flagged down Diane Puckett, and she gave them a ride. Mama had tales to tell about that experience with Rose and a million more from their days working on the Yellow Jacket at Boyden to Mama stepping in a dozen eggs at Zimmermans and soiling her new saddle Oxfords to Rose helping me write my tribute to Mama when she passed away. I love the cartoon that Brincefield did taking down the Post sign at the paper when she retired. You should dig it out and run it again. She was a wonderful person. A true star in Salisbury’s crown!
Kaye Brown Hirst, executive director, Rowan Museum: Such a very special lady with an amazing gift. I loved working with Rose on articles, and she often called us here at the Rowan Museum for answers and sources about things. But many years ago before I worked for the Museum, she was trying to find me for an article she was writing. I don’t recall now what it was about, but she called and spoke with my secretary saying she HAD TO TALK TO ME — she was on deadline! And this was before cell phones. My secretary explained I was at the doctor’s office with my son who had hurt his knee, and wouldn’t be back for awhile, and that she would give me the message to call her when I returned. Rose needed me quicker than that. She assumed I had taken him to an orthopedic doctor, so she called several before she found me. I was so stunned when a receptionist told me, as we sat in a waiting room, that I had an important phone call from Rose Post. I took it, and she explained that she had tracked me down! She was always so persistent. I loved it! But she always wanted her facts and wanted them correct — and would follow leads! She is missed.
Tim Peeler, former Post sports reporter: Sad to hear about the passing, but happy to recall the fond memories of this former co-worker. Just about every one of her stories back in the day was longer than all the original content in one of today’s newspapers. She wrote long, and wrote well. Wish we could all do the same.
Ben McNeely, online editor, Independent Tribune: North Carolina journalism lost a great one last night. To my colleagues at the Salisbury Post, my thoughts are with you.